Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 233: Recognition

Sein had grown accustomed to the lively and lavish atmosphere of the dinner banquets, but the same could not be said for his cousin, Selina.

Her very name had marked her as an outsider in these gatherings.

Adding to her discomfort, Sein’s great grandfather, Jeremy, had mistakenly assumed she was Sein’s wife.

During the dinner, Jeremy even prodded Earl Grantt to inquire about Sein’s intentions regarding starting a family.

For ancient knight houses like House Grantt, the continuation of the family bloodline was of utmost importance.

While House Grantt had quite a number of indirect descendants, there were only few direct descendants.

This was primarily due to Earl Grantt having only two sons, Sein and Solon.

Jeremy, it appeared, had reservations about Solon, particularly regarding his red hair.

“Your great grandfather values our lineage deeply, and Solon’s red hair, inherited from his mother, has been a source of his displeasure. That includes Little Janus, who also has Solon’s red hair,” Earl Grantt confided to Sein within a privacy barrier.

He continued, “Therefore, he wishes for you to continue the Grantt bloodline as soon as possible and inherit the earldom.”

Solon’s red hair was a genetic trait from his maternal family.

According to Earl Grantt, Solon’s maternal family was also a formidable knight house that boasted Rank One and Two knights.

Little Janus was none other than Earl Grantt’s grandson and Sein’s nephew.

At the banquet, Sein’s stepmother, Lady Thea, was seen holding the hand of the boy, who was now around seven or eight years old.

In response to Earl Grantt’s inquiry, Sein shook his head and said, “I have no intention of starting a family anytime soon. My main focus remains on magic and the pursuit of truth. As for Solon and Janus’ red hair, it’s a simple matter of genetics. They both undoubtedly carry the pure bloodline of House Grantt.”

“I believe great grandfather’s displeasure will eventually fade. He seems quite fond of Little Janus,” Sein remarked, gesturing toward the center of the banquet hall.

There, Jeremy affectionately lifted Janus into his arms.

As the youngest direct descendant of House Grantt currently, Janus naturally became the center of everyone’s attention.

Even Julius, the oldest ancestor of the family, occasionally cast his gaze upon the young Janus.

Upon hearing Sein’s response, Earl Grantt nodded understandingly.

***

Sein’s stay with House Grantt was brief; he remained at the castle for only three days before escorting Selina back to House Farion.

The tower that served as Sein’s residence had been well-maintained by his family during his absence and was regularly cleaned.

Lady Thea, with whom he had a somewhat strained relationship back then, now found herself in a different league from Sein, who had returned as a Rank One mage.

As a full-fledged mage with a lifespan nearing a thousand years, Sein did not have to put himself on the level as that noblewoman either.

Furthermore, Lady Thea’s previous concerns about Sein potentially challenging her son’s inheritance of the earldom were now alleviated.

According to the prevailing norms in the secular human nations, knights and mages of Rank One and above generally did not hold noble titles.

Given that Sein had not yet fathered an heir, there was no imminent threat to the future knighthood of her grandson.

In this regard, Lady Thea might find herself indirectly grateful to Sein for preserving her son’s position.

For their journey to House Farion, Sein and Selina rode on the super-ranked magic beast—the Reverse Winged Lion King.

Samson rarely stayed still but was incredibly lethargic when at rest, making it a peculiar and fascinating Rank Two creature.

Julius, the venerable ancestor and founder of the family, had given his approval for using Samson as their transportation.

Although Julius was a man of few words, preferring to remain in the background and letting Jeremy speak, his actions suggested a recognition of Sein’s worth.

This could be attributed to Sein’s status as a full-fledged mage or his apprenticeship under a prominent divine tower master.

Perhaps both factors played a role, with the latter being the more significant influence.

Sein and Selina’s arrival at House Farion was met with even greater appreciation and respect than they had received at House Grantt.

Both House Grantt and House Farion harbored little doubt about Sein’s apprenticeship under the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s master.

After all, his status as a Rank One mage was indisputable, and given the Lysian Alliance’s inclusion in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s sphere of influence, these noble houses had means to verify such claims.

Fortunately, Sein had maintained a low profile upon his return, and his apprenticeship under the Tower Master of Verdant Spring had not been widely publicized in the Viridescent Land.

Had it been otherwise, his return might have caused a significant stir not only in House Grantt and House Farion but perhaps also eliciting invitations from high-ranking figures like the grand duke of the Lysian Alliance or the royal families of the Zephyr Kingdom and Ohrque Empire.

Sein learned from his great grandfather that the grand duke’s family in the Lysian Alliance boasted a demigod-level knight.

Jeremy even took the time to introduce Sein to many renowned knight houses in the Lysian Alliance. He also revealed that both he and Julius were part of the Order of the Steel Fist, a respected order of the knights.

The Order of the Steel Fist, located north of the Ohrque Empire, had branches across the Lysian Alliance and neighboring nations.

Many human nations, including the Lysian Alliance, the Zephyr Kingdom, and the Ohrque Empire, were under the Order of the Steel Fist’s influence.

These orders played a crucial role in the Magus World, akin to the divine towers, and were the embodiment of the knightly force in this world.

For mages in this region, joining the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring was considered the pinnacle of achievement.

Likewise, Knights also pursued a similar goal in striving to be part of these prestigious orders.

Unlike the divine tower academies established by major divine towers, the orders of the knights have established numerous academies across the Magus World, each within their sphere of influence.

However, knight academies were less common in the Lysian Alliance, as the nobility there still preferred passing down skills through family inheritance.

In contrast, the neighboring Zephyr Kingdom had established its own royal knight academy.

However, it was the Ohrque Empire, located to the north of the Lysian Alliance, that had significantly expanded the scale of knight academies. Within its capital alone, several such academies were established.

Remarkably, this included public knight academies that were specifically founded for commoners.